Ice conserver.



No.y 746,414. PATENTED DEG. 8, 1903. H. S. VAN FLEET.

ICE CONSBRVER.

APPLIUATION FILED PEB. 2o, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

IlI 5 Fl'Igv1o` YUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HART STEPHEN VAN FLEET, OF ROSELLE, NEW JERSEY.

A ICE-CONSERVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Ivo. 746,414, dated December s, 1903. Application filed FehruaryZO, 1903. Serial No. 144,286. (No model.)

To all whom, tmc/y concern:

Be it known that I, HART STEPHEN VVAN FLEET, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roselle, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Ice-Conserver, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice-conservers, and has for its object, rst, to provide asimple and efcient device to prevent the rapid melting of ice in a refrigerator by preventing the free air in the ice-chamber thereof to gain access to the ice; second, to protect the ice from the air outside the refrigerator when the door is opened.

I accomplish the objects of my invention by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation View of a refrigerator with the upper part broken awayto show my improved ice-conserver applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the conserver. Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof, and Fig, 4 is a section of the top piece or cover on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawings like numerals of reference refer to the same parts in each of the views, and in the practice of my invention I provide a frame 5,preferably composed of metal and provided with uprights or posts 6l and 7, the latter being mounted in front and provided with apertures 8, into which are passed the open rings 9, from which isV suspended the curtain 10, forming the front of the conserver. The cover l1, which is self-adjusting as the ice melts, as it rests directly upon the ice, is provided with groinets l2, proportioned in size and so disposed that the posts 6 and 7 will pass freely therethrough, thereby allowing the cover to be moved easily on said posts. By using the gromets the.v edges of the cover l1 can be held in close contact with the walls of the icechamber, as shown at 15 in Fig. 1, thereby forming a more perfect inclosure and preventing the warm air reaching the ice. The cover 11 and curtain lO are preferably composed of mildew-proof material and are filled with non-heat-conducting material 13, the curtain having less of the filling than the cover, as greater pliability is dsirable. The filling may be charcoal, fiber, or any suitable material; but I prefer to use sawdust and paper-pulp mixed in substantially equal proportions, as the material is very cheap, and I find it :very effective.

In operation the conserver is placed in the ice-receptacle of4 a refrigerator. The front curtain is removed, the cake of ice 14 is placed in the conserver, the cover 11 being raised to allow it to be placed thereunder, and the cover is allowed to rest upon the ice. The curtain 10 is then hung in position and is of sufficient size to shield the ice from the air when the refrigerator-door is opened. As the ice melts the cover will descend, as it is supported entirely by the ice and will protect thel ice from the air in the upper part of the icechamber.

In practice I nd that with the device there is a great saving of ice for the following reasons: The cover and front form a small chamber within the ice-chamber in which the iceislocated. Thischamber continuallycontracts, so that there is very little space withinthe same that is not filled with ice. The air in the chamber outside the conserver willnot gain ready access tothe conserver, for the reason that warm air does not descend, but will remain in the upper part of the chamber. There will be no cooling of this air, as the cover separates the ice effectually therefrom, so that there is no loss of iceV by melting on account of such cooling. As the goods being preserved are located in the chamber beneath theice-chamber or in the lower part of the ice-chamber all that is necessary is to cool these parts, and it is a waste of energy to cool the air in the upper part of the ice-chamber. Consequently by protecting the ice from this warm strata of air considerable ice is saved, and the ice, having less space in which to melt, willcool this space much more intensely and less ice will be melted. Further, when the door is opened the ice is protected from the Warm external air and will not be much aifected thereby.

It will thus be seen that I accomplish the objects of my invention in a simple and efflcent manner and with a conserver that is comparatively inexpensive.

While I have described a particular way of protecting the ice and reducing the space in which it is located, I do not confine myself to IOC the particular means herein described, as the edges of the cover projecting beyond said many ways may be devised for accomplishposts in contact with the Walls of the chaming'the same object. The essential features ber, and a curtain suspended in front of said of my invention are the insulated cover, with frame, as and for the purpose set forth. 15 5 means to keep it on the ice and the protect- In testimony whereof I have signed my ing-curtain. name to this specification in the presence of I claimtwo subscribing Witnesses. A11 ice-conserver comprising a frame pro- HART STEPHEN VAN FLEET. vided With posts, a cover composed of non- Witnesses: 1o heat-conducting material and provided with H. VAN OLDENNEER,

gromets in which said posts are mounted H. E. WOOLLEY. 

